Misunderstandings
by ice flow
Summary: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou. Sequel to The Aftermath, AtoJi Adorable Pair
1. Chapter 1

AAAAAAAAAAAND....here's the sequel to The Aftermath~ ^_^ Hope you all like it. Review pleeeeeeeeease~

* * *

**Title**: Misunderstandings  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: Romance, Family  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Note**: Sequel to The Aftermath.  
**Summary**: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT...Atobe and Jirou would be official...and PoT would be about Hyoutei instead of Seigaku...

* * *

Atobe Sayumi frowned as she elegantly stepped out of the vehicle. She had given her son a three-day prior notice that she--and her husband, later this evening--was to return this day, and yet, Keigo was not here to greet her. It had been a long time since the last time she had seen her son, perhaps four? five? years ago, really. She absently wondered what he was like now, as she handed her coat off to the butler. Sure, she had heard rumors about his accomplishments, ranging from his success in academia to his success in that....sport, he so liked playing. Oh, she knew he wasn't incompetent, far from it in fact. He had been helping her husband with various jobs since the child had returned from Great Britain. So far, he had turned in detailed and punctual work, befitting for the heir of the Atobe family.

What she had to raise her eyebrow at, though, was that her son was rumored to have a relatively large fanbase. Fanatics were nice and all, but not appropriate for businessmen nor politicians. They needed supporters, not obsessed fans. From what one of her colleagues told her on her last visit to Japan, Atobe Keigo was a well-known name in the Kantou region, if not for his wealth nor talents, then for his looks. Apparently, several modeling agencies had attempted to recruit the diva, as many referred to Atobe Keigo as, only to fail.

She shook her head as she stalked up the stairs to Keigo's room. Unbelievable. She'd heard that he was a charmer, but nothing about being a playboy. Hopefully he wasn't. She wrinkled her nose disgustedly at the thought of any illegitimate children running around. Not to mention all the problems it would cause.

Besides, that was the point of this visit. She and Atobe Keisuke had found a suitable girl to betroth Keigo to. Ashikawa Aiko was certainly a fitting bride. She was beautiful with her petite figure and long blonde hair, intelligent, and possessed a sharp mind. While she did not come from a family from the higher end of the social ladder, she was well-educated and her family was well-to-do. It would be more beneficial than betrothing Keigo to one of those other gold-digging harpies.

Yes, it would be a good match. She opened Keigo's door as she reached his room...only for everything she had been planning to say to her son to completely fly out of her head as she froze in shock.

A petite blonde figure with their back facing her was beginning to button up their white dress shirt when said person caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of their eye, at which the figure snatched up a bedsheet to cover their front and let out a shriek of terror. It vaguely registered in her mind that although the girl was pretty, especially with her well-done makeup, she was a little flat, before footsteps interrupted her thoughts.

* * *

-----

Atobe nodded distractedly as his butler reported to him that his mother had arrived and was looking for him as he continued his conversation with a particular....sneaky tensai. He had called only to appropriately give his thanks to where it was due, no matter how reluctant he was to speak to Seigaku's sadistic tensai. He had no wish to be in the presence of the honey-haired boy, no matter if it was only just speaking on the phone. That boy had a cruel streak in him a mile-wide when provoked; he didn't understand how Tezuka handled him and wasn't quite sure he ever wanted to know. He was just glad the boy wasn't in Hyoutei.

Then twin shrieks rang out throughout the mansion, sending several of his teammates tumbling out of bed if the thumps he heard where correct.

Shit. Mother.

He had completely forgotten that Jirou was in his room changing out of that schoolgirl uniform. If his mother had headed straight to his room the moment she arrived...

"Saa...looks like you'll be having a fun time."

"Shut up." He snarled at the Fuji.

"Looks like Nee-san's right afterall. Call us if Jirou needs any help with his makeup again. Ja."

Atobe furiously hung up the phone at the Fuji's audacity while cursing himself for allowing his team to persuade Jirou to keep the outfit and makeup on all night. They had moved their little after-game-party to his place, deeming the clubhouse to be too small for anything. Then someone got it into his mind that making Jirou stay in the skirt would be a good idea, probably Mukahi or Shishido. Well, it was a good idea, he mused, until Jirou decided that his lap was a more comfy resting place than the floor and sat on him. That had caused a few problems.

When he reached his room in record time, he could see his mother gaping speechlessly at Jirou, while Jirou had pressed himself against the opposite wall with a bedsheet clutched tightly to him up to his neck, white dress shirt draped around thin shoulders, eyes wide in terror and shock, resembling perhaps a virgin sacrifice.

"Mother!"

His mother snapped out of her shock and whipped around. "Keigo! This is why you didn't come out to greet me?! I heard that you had become a big charmer at your school, that you had girls throwing themselves at you everyday. This is what you do?! You choose a poor, innocent girl every other day to take to bed and discard them afterwards?! And her! Look at her! She doesn't even look like she's past thirteen yet! You've ruined her life if you got her pregnant! How could you!" She ranted at him.

Atobe gaped as he sputtered out, "What?!"

Just as his mother opened her mouth to shout again, a small voice interrupted.

"Um...ma'am? I'm fifteen."

"Oh, alright, dearie," she said offhandedly to the blonde behind her before turning on her son again. "But that still doesn't give you the right to just sleep with anyone! How many have there been?" She glared at him, tapping her foot.

"Wha-" Atobe narrowed his eyes. "Mother, no one else has been in my room except-"

"Seriously? That's the first person that's ever stepped foot into your room besides the servants and your father and I?" She raised an eyebrow.

Atobe sighed exasperatedly, "YES, Mother."

"And you've never slept with anyone anywhere else?"

"Mother, just what kind of person do you think I am?!" Atobe hissed.

"Alright then, problem solved them. You'll marry this girl after we do a satisfactory background check. Hopefully she's as good as the one we picked out for you to be betrothed to. If this one's not good enough, you'll just have to settle for the betrothal. Bring her to the party next weekend; we'll do everything then. Oh, and make sure she's not pregnant." She said airily, before taking her leave, leaving both Atobe and Jirou staring after her.

A small rustle sounded as fabric dragged itself across the floor. Atobe looked down at the small tug on his sleeve to see Jirou staring at him with a curious look in his eyes. "Did she just think that I was a girl the entire time...?"

Atobe let out a bark of slightly hysterical laughter as he sat down heavily on his bed. This was unbelievable. His mother had just announced that he was either going to marry Jirou or going to marry some girl that she and his father chose for him. Even worse, Jirou was obviously no longer going to be a choice if they discover that Jirou is indeed male and not female. On top of that, his mother apparently thought that he was a satyromaniac. Which he definitely was NOT. He had only gotten as far as making out with Jirou. Hmph.

"Keigo...?" A soft rustle sounded as Jirou sat next to Atobe on the bed and wrapped his arms around the taller boy's waist and leaned into him. Atobe let out a heavy sigh. He didn't know what to do about the entire situation.

The silence was then broken by a low whistle. "Man, talk about family issues." The resident acrobat commented.

"Yeah, I don't envy you at all." Shishido said as he walked into the room with the rest of the team that was left following. Hiyoshi and Kabaji had returned home late last night, but everyone else had opted to stay.

"Atobe-san, Jirou-senpai, we'll help in any way we can." The only junior left in the group stated determinedly.

"So what're you going to do now?"

Atobe looked up at Hyoutei's tensai at that last question and made a decision. "Ore-sama will have to ask for help. If...Jirou is willing to stay with me after everything, that is." He glanced down at the soft golden head resting on his chest with softened eyes. He had no desire to give Jirou up, but he wasn't going to make Jirou suffer through the inquisition and stories his family will put him through until well after they were both graduated.

Jirou's response was a little unexpected, however. He gave a sleepy smile to Atobe before saying, "Well, Yumiko-san was right afterall, I'm going to need that makeup kit again."

The rest of the team stared at the blonde as he went back to snuggling against Atobe. Then Oshitari coughed. "I assume that by his comment, you're going to go through with this...charade of yours?"

Atobe nodded firmly once.

"Well, call us if you need any help with anything." The blue-haired tensai said as he left the room. Mukahi quickly scurried after him, but not before saying, "You need any distractions or chaos created, I can help."

"Let's go, Shishido-san. I'm sure Atobe-san and Jirou-san both would like some time together."

"Ch'. Fine."

The door clicked shut.

* * *

Please leave a comment or review!


	2. Chapter 2

_**IMPORTANT!!! READ THIS!!!**_

**A/N: Okay, since I have a ton of fics written, and no idea of when to post them, I have all the summaries of the ones not yet posted on my profile page. Take your pick. They will be posted in whatever order gets the most votes. ON the condition that I get at least 7 reviews ANYWHERE. Signed, unsigned, here, some other fic, I don't care. Each time I get at least 7, I'll post another fic or chapter, or maybe I'll just post one cause I feel like it or someone convinces me to.**

**There's also the fact where about a third of them are rated R....and I don't know how many people actually read that...  
**

**I never do this minimum number of reviews thing, but I don't know how to moderate when to post**** (as you can probably see from my sporadic posting)****, and someone suggested that I post every time I get at least 5 reviews and 100 hits, but I almost never get 100 hits until at least a week or two later, so that would be a moot point. I figure that reviews are easier to reach since it really doesn't take much to leave a comment.....it's not like I block anonymous reviewers.**

**...and No, I am not going to spam the entire first page of the PoT ffnet page with my fics cause that would just irritate people...as much fun as that sounds like...**

**Now, on with the chapter, and I hope you enjoy~  
**

* * *

**Title**: Misunderstandings 2  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: Romance, Family  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Note**: Sequel to The Aftermath.  
**Summary**: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT...Atobe and Jirou would be official...and PoT would be about Hyoutei instead of Seigaku...

* * *

Truly, it had been a stressful week. Just as the Seigaku fiasco settled down, his mother decides to barge in on his life after FIVE years of no contact whatsoever and announce that he was going to be betrothed whether he liked it or not. And Jirou had been caught in the midst of everything.

Atobe glanced down at the boy lightly napping on him and gently petted the soft curls. The pretty curls shone interesting shades in the right light, he mused. Sometimes it would be dark gold, sometimes auburn, sometimes pure blond, sometimes orange or red. It seemed Jirou's hair was just as multifaceted as Jirou himself was, spontaneous in different situations, yet still the same underneath everything. Atobe sighed.

The only option he had now was to ask for help from either his uncle or grandfather. Knowing that his uncle would most likely just refer him to his grandfather though, he dismissed that option. Really, how depressing. If his grandfather didn't take his news well, then all hope was lost. His parents would definitely find out what he had been attempting to do, and he certainly did not want to cause the Akutagawa family any grief by accident--which may happen should his parents feel vengeful.

Did he want to risk it?

Would Jirou be willing to risk it?

He knew that relationships, especially those started in mid-teenaged years, rarely lasted, but he'd like to think that theirs would. He wasn't prone to liking people, much less falling in love with them, but there was just...something about Jirou that attracted him. Perhaps it was the way he looked at life everyday, with that jubilant and honest joy in his bright smiles. He wasn't sure how Jirou really felt towards him--the blond had always been a little too affectionate, but even with his insight, he knew there were things too complex for even him to analyze accurately, true love being one of them--, but he figured that only time could tell for that one, and that he might as well take what he could get for now. His wealth and power could only get him so much in life, after all.

Despite Jirou's earlier agreement, Atobe really hoped that Jirou would not change his mind. He wanted to keep the blond for as long as he could.

He dialed the number for his grandfather's private cell phone. As the phone rang, he recalled the last time he had seen his grandfather. The old man was not quite what he had expected. He had been a brat of a nine year old, all arrogance and absolutely no grace, constantly irritating the servants and maids, even as much as they sympathized with him for being left by his parents. His grandfather had definitely taught him a few things about humility and when to accept defeat...or rather when to accept a temporary defeat only to come back another day and take revenge. He rather liked the old man. After that first initial year of him living with said guardian in Great Britain, he eventually learned that his grandfather wasn't the stiff retired businessman he had expected him to be. Retired, yes. But he had a rather twisted sense of humor...like dumping him overboard into the school of dolphins they passed by in their yacht one day just because he said it must be nice to be amongst such a big family.

But it was also here that he learned that his father was not an only child. He had an uncle, one that was younger than his father, but he had run off with his lover because he couldn't tolerate his brother's prejudiced views. No one had really heard from him again, but every now and then, his grandfather received little postcards or trinkets from his youngest son. His grandfather also had his number, just in case of an emergency, but never used it out of respect of his youngest's privacy. He did give young Keigo the number, however.

Every now and then, though, Atobe's grandfather would mention to him that he wished his youngest had stayed a little longer. His brother, Atobe's father, had finally come to terms with his brother's preference, especially since it didn't affect the family duties--the youngest did not inherit, afterall--, but by then, it was too late. Atobe's uncle had already run off.

At the time, Atobe had not understood why such a story would have made his grandfather look so wistful, but now he understood exactly what his uncle had to go through as the phone clicked, indicating his grandfather had picked up the call.

"Yes?"

Atobe swallowed. "Grandfather?" He winced at the slight crack in his voice.

"Keigo? What's wrong?"

Atobe chuckled, those three years spent living with his grandfather had been enjoyable; he had finally felt like he had been part of a family of some sort, but then again, it also familiarized his grandfather with his attitude and habits enough to recognize when something was wrong with him.

"How did you feel about Uncle all those years ago? When he initially told you before he ran off."

".....Keigo....is something wrong?"

"Please."

His grandfather gave a sigh, knowing just how stubborn his grandson could be when he was determined. "I was stunned at first, but I told him whatever makes him happy."

"...What would you do if I was also in that situation?" Atobe asked hesitantly.

There was a long pause of silence from the other end of the phone. Atobe clenched his fist tightly; he had hoped that him being the only child wouldn't matter that much, but apparently, it might. A small pair of hands gently pried his fist apart. He looked down to see Jirou gently rubbing at the moon-crescents formed on his palms.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. We'll find a way." Jirou gave him a soft smile.

Atobe only pulled Jirou closer in response, burying his face in golden curls.

"...-go? Keigo? Are you there?" He snapped back up.

"Yes, grandfather?"

He heard his grandfather sigh. "I had hoped something like this wouldn't happen again this soon, but someone had told me the year I sent for you that I'd have to deal with it again. It's alright, when do you need everything by?"

Atobe blinked, perplexed. He hadn't told his grandfather anything yet.

"Said person also told me what I'd have to do."

"Er...Mother is holding the engagement party next week. She and father will determine if my chosen 'bride' is good enough or if I must marry the girl they have chosen."

"Ah...I see. I assume you already have your chosen 'bride,' then?"

"Yes."

"...does he really pass off for a girl that easily?" Curiosity laced the old man's voice.

Atobe could only gape at his grandfather.

"What? I'm just curious. The girl said that your boyfriend would need official documents indicating that he's female."

A slight suspicion rose in Atobe's mind. "Would this girl have been around her late teens with strawberry blonde hair and gray-blue eyes by any chance?"

"Yes, that's about right."

He groaned inwardly, damned Fujis and their meddling. But he could forgive them in this case. They were doing him a great favor by convincing his grandfather way before he had to.

"So?"

Atobe felt like slamming his head against something hard. Yes, his grandfather was eccentric alright. "No, Jirou doesn't look THAT feminine, but he passes off well."

"So his name's Jirou, eh? Hmm...I see. Are your mother and father staying tonight?"

"Father is coming come later this evening. I believe they will stay here for the duration of the week. My own private house on the other side of the city should be free, however. Mother and Father should have no knowledge of it."

"Good, good. I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

Atobe stared at the phone as the dial tone sounded. That, was one of the strangest phone calls he had ever had, he concluded.

* * *

Please leave a comment or review!


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd appreciate it if you referred to the A/N at the beginning of Chapter 2, thanks~**

* * *

**Title**: Misunderstandings 3  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: Romance, Family  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Note**: Sequel to The Aftermath.  
**Summary**: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT...Atobe and Jirou would be official...and PoT would be about Hyoutei instead of Seigaku...

* * *

He sat with his legs crossed and an arm resting on the cushioned door of the limo. Last night had been absolute chaos. He had gone downstairs to properly greet his father when he arrived, only to find his mother already blabbing about his 'misdeeds' to her husband. His father had been right in time for dinner, and so throughout dinner, Atobe had to sit and listen to his parents' lecture about how he should be more careful in life, about how he could not just sleep with any tramp who threw herself at him--he had to check that she was of some worth or that she would be easily taken care of if she became a problem--, about how he apparently needed a betrothal if his current girlfriend couldn't keep him in line. Oh, and apparently, he needed better control of his hormones, too. Atobe had to valiantly refrain from gritting his teeth--because that would ruin his teeth--at these accusations.

It was ridiculous what his parents believed. They had probably seen him perhaps a total of ten times since early childhood, and perhaps not much more during infanthood, considering that he doesn't remember quite that far back, even with his great memory. They had probably handed him off to one of the servants to take care of the moment he was brought home, and none of the few times he had seen them were for recreation; it was always business, business, business.

And now his dear Mother and Father wanted to control his life and tell him what he should do and not do? They didn't even know what he was like, much less what he would think of everything. He was not a puppet for them to use and discard.

He silently fumed in his rage.

"Kei-chan...."

The whine broke him out of his thoughts as he turned to look at his boyfriend curled up on the seat next to him, head pillowed on his lap.

"That's better."

Atobe sighed. He didn't even want to know how Jirou's family was going to react to everything. It was their son who had to manage a double identity, after all. He was just glad that he managed to get Jirou out of the house with no problems the day before.

"Ne...what's your grandfather like?"

Atobe considered the question for a moment. "I suppose you can call him eccentric, for the lack of a better term."

"Really?"

"You will understand when you meet him."

"Mmm....Sugoi~! We're here!" Jirou sat up and bounced a little in his seat. When the door opened, he leapt out and immediately began dragging Atobe out after him. "C'mon!"

"Jirou, you do NOT have to pull Ore-sama out of the vehicle." Atobe lightly scolded to the oblivious Jirou. The comment had flown straight over the blond's head and never reached him, considering that he was now dashing up the front steps.

Atobe sighed. Typical Jirou.

"Uwaahh~!! Ooph!"

He jerked his head up to see that Jirou had crashed right into a tall man standing just beyond the doors. He had to give a small, exasperated smile at this, before walking over and picking Jirou up from the ground.

After patting Jirou down and making sure he was fine, he turned to the man and greeted, "Grandfather."

"Ehhh?!?!" When both Atobes' heads turned to face the blond, Jirou flushed at his outburst. "Sorry, it's just...you don't look...old old..."

The man laughed. "It's fine. We age relatively well." Then he rubbed his chin as he leaned closer to the blond, face-to face. Jirou blinked and leaned backwards, away from the face inspecting him. "Hmm..."

Atobe coughed. "Please stop harassing him."

His grandfather let out a chuckle. "Alright. I see what you mean though." He said as he walked back into the house.

Jirou blinked questioningly at Atobe, who shook his head at Jirou's obliviousness at times.

"Let's go." Atobe said as he also entered the house, with Jirou following closely behind.

* * *

* * *

Jirou twisted his upper body to the side as he tried to look behind him. The tailors had draped large pieces of fabric over him and had wrapped and pinned various parts of it together. He pouted when he was scolded and told to face forward. He felt like a doll being dressed up, standing here on this little wooden stool being surrounded by so much cloth...and all the while Keigo and his grandfather sat in the next room over talking in their comfy seats. It wasn't fair~.

"Birth certificate, registration, medical records...." Atobe muttered as he checked off the list.

"And school records?"

"Home-schooled, and therefore no official institution records." Atobe promptly replied before glancing over through the open door at Jirou's figure.

"Good, good." His grandfather nodded. "I think we're done here then."

"Aa." Atobe absentmindedly agreed as he continued to watch Jirou pout.

His grandfather looked on, amused. "Are you always this obvious?"

Startled, Atobe jerked his head back towards his grandfather. "What?"

The old man grinned. "Are you always this obvious with your...favored...person."

"I-" Atobe's cheeks tinged a light, light pink. "I...I've never really had a...favored person before." He finally replied, a little distantly.

The other blinked in surprise. "Truly? You're fifteen, at the age where teenagers have a crush on a different person every other week, and he's the only one you've actually liked?" He pointed at the blond now twitching in irritation at all the restricting cloth.

"Aa."

The grandfather leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and hooked his hands together behind his head. "I see."

"..........."

".........."

"............"

"He seems to be a good boy." Atobe's grandfather finally commented. "Doesn't seem to carry grudges."

Atobe snorted. "That's an understatement."

"Oh?"

"We lost an important game last week that kicked us out of the regional tournament for this year. He lost 1 - 6 against the other school and was happily praising his opponent right after the match." Atobe explained.

"Mmm....like I said, good boy." There was a pause of silence. "He'll probably do you a lot of good actually. He was the one who told you to calm down last night, wasn't he?"

"You heard that?"

"You weren't paying me much attention. He seems like he'd be able to keep you grounded to life though."

"....Aa."

They continued to watch a squirming Jirou in silence.

* * *

Lunch was a vivacious affair, despite the fact that only three people were present. Jirou would gasp in delight at the various desserts served and exclaim over the ones he liked best and attempt to feed these to Atobe, much to his grandfather's amusement.

"Ji-Jirou! I'm full. No more. We need to get back to work." Atobe said exasperatedly.

"Awww..." Jirou pouted.

Atobe sighed. "Alright, one more bite." He said as he leaned over and accepted the spoonful, watching Jirou's eyes light up in delight. The things he put up with to make Jirou happy sometimes, honestly.

"You two are just like newlyweds, you realize that?" His grandfather commented casually as he sat watching both teenagers flush. He just loved being able to pick on his grandson.

Atobe cleared his throat after he swallowed. "Yes, well, back to the matters at hand." He turned to Jirou. "We have all the documents done and ready, but we need your family's cooperation for this to work."

"Mmm..." Jirou agreed, head resting on his arms on the table.

"Informing your relatives might not be necessary if they do not frequently contact one another."

"Mmm....I don't know who my relatives even are, and they probably don't even realize me or my sister exist."

Atobe nodded. "Good. That settles that then."

"Are we going to go to my house tonight then?" Jirou sleepily asked.

"Grandfather?" Atobe turned to his grandfather.

"The sooner it's done, the better."

"I see. Then let's hope those outfits are done by then."

"Eh?"

"Proof in case your family refuses to believe us."

"EHH??!?!??"

* * *

Please leave a comment or review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I suppose if no one cares, then I'll just go on sporadically posting at who knows when...**

* * *

**Title**: Misunderstandings 4  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: Romance, Family  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Note**: Sequel to The Aftermath.  
**Summary**: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou.

* * *

  
**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT...Atobe and Jirou would be official...and PoT would be about Hyoutei instead of Seigaku...  


* * *

Jirou continued to pout as he lay sprawled over Atobe's lap on the way to Jirou's home. He was vaguely surprised that Atobe's grandfather hadn't said anything about his habits. Then again, his grandfather had looked more amused than anything at his grandson's situation, so that probably wasn't a good indicator anyways.

He sighed, blowing a puff of air upwards towards his bangs, making them flutter a bit before settling down again. At least his family was all home tonight. He wasn't too sure about how they would react. They knew that he had a tendency to be all over the Atobe heir sometimes, but they didn't know exactly why that was. Well, they were going to find out tonight, whether they wanted to or not.

Then again...he scrunched up his nose. If anything, his family might be more amused at his situation than anything. They'd probably love to see him in a dress and laugh at him. On the other hand, he wasn't the first-born son, so there was nothing to worry about there for inheritances and such, but that didn't mean that they would willingly let him do whatever he wanted with his life. He scowled. This was so frustrating. He leaned into the fingers tangled in his hair a little more, taking comfort in his boyfriend's touch and slowly nodding off.

Atobe had to shake him awake when they arrived, the great limo looking out of place in the more modest neighborhood. Most neighbors had learned to ignore the vehicle by then, however, used to Atobe regularly having to drop off their sleepy neighbor at odd times of the day and night.

"Mmrh?" Jirou lifted his head sleepily. "We're here?" He yawned and stretched as he sat up before following Atobe out and past the chauffeur holding open the door. He ambled over to his front door and fumbled with the keys a little before managing to unlock it.

"I'm home!" Jirou called as he walked into the house.

"Already?!" The voice sounded slightly panicked.

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "I think Mom's working herself into a fit 'cause I told her you were staying for dinner." Jirou explained. "Told her she didn't have to though..." He mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Anyways, I can introduce you and your grandfather to everyone else for now." Jirou grabbed Atobe's hand and began pulling him towards the living room, glancing back every now and then to make sure that Atobe's grandfather was still following.

"Dad! Kaji! Miyoko!" Jirou called as he dragged his boyfriend after him. Skidding to a stop right in front of his father watching the TV, he quickly introduced everyone.

"Dad, Kaji, Mi-chan, this is Keigo and his grandfather...er..." Jirou paused as he looked over at the older man.

"Haru is fine." He chuckled.

"Okay, Grandfather Haru, then! Keigo, Haru-san," Jirou began pointing out the various members of his family. "Kaji, Dad, Mi-chan, and Mom's in the kitchen."

"Not anymore, I'm not." Jirou's mother scolded as she entered the living room. She looked at Atobe. "I hope he hasn't been causing too much trouble this time."

Atobe shook his head. "We're actually here to ask something else, if you have time."

"Of course, of course. Please sit." She waved at the couch against the adjacent wall. Jirou dragged Atobe over to one end and pushed him down before deciding that his Keigo's lap would make a good seat and sat down on it.

"Jirou!" Jirou's mother exclaimed in horror.

"It's fine, Mom."

"Yeah, it's not like they don't always do that at school anyways." Jirou's siblings dismissed.

"We have a guest." She hissed back at them.

Atobe's grandfather laughed. "It's fine. I've seen worse." He said as he took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Now about that issue..."

Atobe cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I suppose we should ask what you think of homosexual relationships?" He directed the question to the four gathered.

They pointedly stared at Jirou sitting on his lap.

"I think that kinda answers your question there." Miyoko pointed out.

"Alright then, what do you think of the idea of dressing up your older brother over there as a girl?" Atobe's grandfather leaned closer to her and pretended to whisper conspiratorially.

Miyoko's eyes gleamed. "We can do that?"

"Well, can you pretend that you've had an older sister, too, all of these years?"

"Sure!"

Meanwhile, Atobe and Jirou stared at the two, dumbstruck. "Well, that was easy." Jirou muttered.

"Wait, wait, wait. How did we get from homosexual relationships to crossdressing Jirou?" Jirou's father stopped the two plotters.

"My mother has given me the option of marrying the blond she saw in my room or a girl of her own choosing. I chose Jirou." Atobe explained.

Jirou's father looked at his son. "And you're fine with this? And wouldn't your mother realize that it's not the same blond?" He asked Atobe.

Jirou shrugged. "I don't wanna give Keigo up to someone else, and considering that I was the blond she caught in the room, I don't think that'll be a problem."

Kaji snorted. "She thought you were a girl? And why were you in his room anyways?" He looked at the two suspiciously.

"I was changing~!" Jirou whined. "She just walked in on me." He scowled.

"Well, be safe."

"Kaji!" Jirou's mother sounded scandalized. Then she shook her head. "So you're going to pretend to be a girl and marry Atobe-san?" She asked Jirou.

"Well..."

"We are not required to marry until the date of our own choosing. Hopefully, by that time, my Mother and Father will have signed over everything to me." Atobe filled in for his boyfriend.

"Then this is just for the next few years then?" Jirou's father asked.

"Just for the party they're hosting next week and whatever occasion required." Atobe said. "We have another set of documents done for Jirou's other identity. We only need you to act as if you had another daughter."

Jirou's parents looked at each other, and then at their son, who was beginning to look a little sleepy.

"Are you sure he can pull this off?" She asked. "He's always so sleepy."

"I can stay awake when I want to." Jirou sleepily announced.

"You're fine with this?" Jirou's father asked Atobe's grandfather.

His grandfather only chuckled. "I've had over half a decade to prepare for this. I received a warning from a little birdy early on before any of this started."

"I can't see Jirou as a girl." Kaji interrupted. They all looked at him. "What, he just doesn't look it."

"Nooooo~!!!" Jirou buried his face in Atobe's shoulder. "I don't wanna~!"

"Jirou." Atobe said, exasperated. "You are going to have to do this sooner or later."

"B-but.."

"What if my parents had invited your family to their little ball?"

Jirou pouted. He couldn't refute that. ".....fine."

Atobe looked at the Akutagawa family. "We'll be back in time for dinner." He said as he stood up with Jirou still clinging onto him. He walked over to the front entrance where several bags lay sitting quietly and picked them up before heading up to Jirou's room.

Everyone watched them in silence until they disappeared from view.

"Man, Jirou's completely pampered."

"Mom, I want a boyfriend like that..."

"Kaji! Miyoko!"

Atobe's grandfather had to laugh at the antics of the younger generation. "So how was..."

* * *

Please leave a comment or review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Misunderstandings 5  
**Author**: ice  
**Genre**: Romance, Family  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Pairings**: AtoJi  
**Note**: Sequel to The Aftermath.  
**Summary**: A misunderstanding by Atobe's mother causes chaos for Atobe and Jirou.  


* * *

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned PoT...Atobe and Jirou would be official...and PoT would be about Hyoutei instead of Seigaku...  


* * *

Plates and utensils clinked and clanked as the diners ate their dinners. A wide spread of dishes were laid out for the enjoyment of all, ranging from delicacies to normal spinach and onions. French cream puffs were to be served for dessert.

"I still say we should have waited until they came down." Jirou's mother frowned as she paused.

"They said they'd be down soon and told us to go ahead without them." Miyoko complained.

"I'm sure it's fine." Haru said.

She continued to frown until a cough from the corner of the door interrupted their dinner. They all looked up. "Atobe-san!"

Atobe reached off to the side of the doorframe and pulled a short-haired girl in an ivory dress into view. The dress was amazingly simple, resembling a short kimono with sleeves that flowed much more. A small, scarlet red phoenix embroidered with gold thread lined the left side area of the skirt.

Her hair was wavy, with an ornament of a small bird at the end with several strands of twinkling beads leading down placed above her right ear. Her makeup was only lightly done, with dark eyeliner to make her lashes look fuller and longer and a touch of gloss to her lips. It was difficult to tell whether her lovely blush was due to cosmetics or her embarrassment when they realized that they were staring at Jirou.

"JIROU?!"

"...hi?" he squeaked out embarrassingly.

They gaped at him. He wasn't the most feminine nor prettiest girl around, but he could pass off decently as one. His short stature and delicate frame compared to Atobe's certainly helped the effect. His hair still hung unevenly around his face, but it looked slightly longer and framed his face more appropriately. He was also lucky that his voice hadn't terribly deepened with puberty; it stayed amongst the middle range where female altos could reach.

Atobe led him to an empty seat and let him sit down properly before sitting down himself. "Convinced yet?" He rhetorically asked with a hint of smug arrogance in his tone.

The elder Akutagawas could only nod and stare speechlessly at their second-born son. Kaji shook his head as if saying, I should've known, and continued eating. However, Miyoko on the other hand...

"OMG, Jirou! How did you do your makeup! Or did Atobe do it for you? And your hair! This is so cool, you'd make a great sister!" She bounced around happily. Atobe inwardly thought that she acted like Jirou when Jirou was excited.

"Yes, he does indeed make a cute female." Haru commented.

Atobe glanced over at his grandfather before shaking his head. He didn't want to know what that old man had running through his head. "Let's just continue with dinner." He announced, his statement managing to calm Miyoko down enough to go back to her seat and startle Jirou's parents out of their shock. Dinner proceeded quietly, surprisingly, and at the end, Jirou decided to leave with Atobe and his grandfather after making sure that his family knew what to do if anyone asked about their 'older daughter.'

* * *

--------------------------

While they had skipped school that Monday, they decided to attend classes and then prepare Jirou with etiquette lessons afterwards. By the end of the week, Jirou was exhausted and did not want to hear another word on what he had to do and what he could not do as a female.

"Kei-chan...." Jirou's whine was muffled by his face being buried in one of Atobe's plush pillows. "I'm tired."

Atobe sighed as he looked at his exhausted boyfriend. He reached out and lightly twirled a copper strand of hair around his fingers. "Tomorrow's the day."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but good. I don't wanna deal with those nagging ladies anymore."

Atobe watched him, amused. Jirou was squirming around on the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep in, eventually giving up and just sprawling over his boyfriend, his favorite sleeping spot.

Atobe wrapped his arms around the blond's waist and held him as they drifted off in slumber.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atobe surreptitiously glanced at his watch as he spoke confidently to one of his father's business partners. The other man was impressed with his accomplishments, both in school and in aiding his father, and had said so a few times already. He wasn't quite paying attention, however, more worried about Jirou instead. He hoped his mother and father hadn't caught Jirou before Jirou had made it down to him. Then he heard a few murmurs from behind him.

"Mmm...that's a pretty one. Who is she?" The man Atobe was speaking to interrupted his own sentence.

Atobe, startled at the question--not that he showed it--, turned around to see Jirou almost at the bottom of the staircase, walking both gracefully and confidently down the steps. "Excuse me." He said to the man as he turned back to walk to Jirou.

When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he saw that a few of the young men at the party had already surrounded Jirou and were asking for dances, while Jirou smiled prettily at them and softly refused each one until he reached him.

Atobe held out a hand as he bowed. "May I have this dance, my lady?" He smirked. Jirou let out an almost imperceptible smug grin as he agreed.

"Of course." Groans of disappointment and 'I should've known she'd go for Atobe' rang out from the group surrounding them as Atobe led Jirou away towards the dance floor.

Atobe pulled Jirou close as they the music began again. "Glad to see that you made it safely down." He whispered.

"I almost got caught by your dad."

"What happened?"

"He caught a glimpse of this dress. Apparently the sleeves lag behind when I move." Jirou was wearing the same outfit he wore to show his family.

"I see."

"They're pretty though. And it's a good thing I know my way around this place."

"Mmm."

As the dance ended and Atobe led Jirou off to the refreshment table, they were met by the business associate Atobe had been speaking to earlier. "I see the Atobe gets the pick of the group." He commented as he winked at Jirou. Jirou averted his eyes and clung tighter onto Atobe's sleeve.

Atobe nodded at the man. "Tanosuke-san."

"Keigo!" Atobe looked over to see his mother and father approaching him.

"Excuse us, we need to speak with our son." His father told the man as he pulled Atobe and Jirou off to the side. "You didn't say she was this pretty." His father addressed his mother.

"I didn't think she was at the time." His mother sniffed. "You clean up well." She told Jirou.

"Thank you." Jirou bowed.

"I didn't see her going up earlier. What was she doing coming down the stairs?" Atobe's mother stared at Atobe sternly. "Don't tell me she was in your room again."

"So what if she was. She's already been in there before." Atobe glared back defiantly.

"Hmph. Well, in any case, her background check yielded decent enough results. We'll be wanting a conversation with her now. You, may keep Ashikawa-san entertained, meanwhile. Should we find Akutagawa-san to be lacking, she shall become your fiancee." His mother sniffed.

Atobe glared at his mother. He had to deal with the other girl now? Ugh. "Ah, there she is. Ashikawa-san!" His mother called. A petite blonde-haired girl in a pale blue night gown looked over at their group before heading over. "Ashikawa-san, this is my son. Why don't you two talk to each other for a while? Get to know each other better." His mother smiled sweetly before pulling Jirou away from Atobe and leading him towards a more secluded area.

Jirou glanced back at Atobe as he followed Atobe's mother and father down the hall. Atobe looked faintly annoyed as he watched his boyfriend being pulled away from him. Jirou offered him a small smile before facing forward again. Atobe sighed.

"I'm guessing that that was your girlfriend?"

Atobe turned to the girl he was left with. She was quite pretty, he supposed. Long blonde hair, slim body, big, bright-blue eyes...he still preferred Jirou's auburn-red eyes though. "Yes." He replied to her question.

"Getting pulled away for questioning?" She tilted her head slightly as she gave a small smile.

He blinked. She resembled Jirou for a second there. "Yes..." He affirmed slowly. Ashikawa...ashikawa...ashikawa...something was a little strange about that name.

"Don't worry, I won't try to steal you away from her." She giggled. "You two look quite cute together, anyways."

"Thank you, Ashikawa-san."

"Mmm....she does remind me of someone though." She pondered. "Ah, she reminds me of my little cousin!"

Atobe raised an eyebrow.

"I had a little cousin about our age who was really adorable. Slept anywhere, anytime, whenever he could. It was quite cute. I wonder if he does that anymore."

Atobe blinked slowly. That sounded like Jirou. "Ashikawa-san, how long ago was this?"

"Hmm...I think the last time I saw him was when I was about six. I believe he was only four, almost five back then. Adorable little thing, really."

Ashikawa...wait. Wasn't another way to read the kanji for Akutagawa, 'Ashikawa'? "Your cousin's name wouldn't happen to be Akutagawa Jirou, would it?"

"Yes, it was actually. How did you know?" She asked him questioningly.

Atobe mentally groaned. His parents were trying to set him up with Jirou's COUSIN? This was extremely messed up. He wondered if they realized that. "Do Ore-sama's parents realize you're related to the Akutagawa family?"

She raised an eyebrow at his method of self-address. "Mmm...don't know. They never really asked about my relatives. They kinda just ignored that part when they heard that my family didn't really talk to our relatives much."

"This is not a proposal, but would you really marry Ore-sama if you had a choice?"

"I suppose. It's not like I have anyone I particularly like, and your wealth is certainly a bonus."

Great, of course, it was about the money. But at least she was honest about it. "Perhaps Ore-sama will let you in on a little secret later on if Ore-sama's...fiancee agrees to."

She gave him a confused look. "Okay?"

Atobe looked at his watch. It had already been about half a hour. When were they going to come back?

"I think they're coming back." He looked up to see that Ashikawa was right. He searched Jirou's expression carefully, hoping that his parents hadn't scared Jirou too much. He had hoped to be there when they interrogated Jirou, but apparently, it wasn't meant to be.

"Ji-Jun?" He cleared he voice as he almost let slip Jirou's actual name. Jirou looked up and smiled at him brightly in relief. He gave an inward sigh of relief. Jirou had passed whatever test his parents had put him through.

"I'm sorry, Ashikawa-san. We couldn't find anything wrong with her." Atobe overheard his mother telling the blonde. Atobe scowled.

"Oh, it's perfectly alright. I'd rather he be happy with his girlfriend than marry me. He'd probably be grumpy about it." She laughed.

Atobe sniffed as he pulled Jirou closer to him in a hug. He leaned down and whispered into Jirou's ear. "That's your cousin over there that my parents were trying to set me up with."

Jirou jerked his head up, surprised. "Really?"

"She remembers that she had a cousin who looked like you who slept a lot. Does the name Ashikawa ring a bell?"

"Ashikawa...Ashikawa..." Jirou muttered under his breath. "Ohhh..." He breathed. "I remember her. She used to play with me during summer when her family still came to visit. Then they moved when I was five and never came back."

"We can tell her later if you'd like."

"Can we?" Jirou beamed at him.

"Of course."

"Yay! Kei-chan's the best!" Jirou snuggled deeply against Atobe.

"Aww....they're so cute." A voice giggled. They looked up to see Ashikawa watching them in glee. Jirou blushed, realizing that they were still at the party. He glanced around to see that about a quarter of the people there were watching them and smiling.

"Oops." Jirou muttered.

"It's fine." Atobe reassured. "Want to dance again?"

"Ohh...can we?" Jirou started bouncing slightly.

"Stop bouncing. Your skirt will flip again."

"Oops."

* * *

Please leave a comment or review!


End file.
